Agenda item

Forward Plan Ref: 2020/025

Contact: Hugh Potter, Group Manager – Area Operations Hub Tel: 07766 998704

Report by Director for Community Operations (Interim) (CMDE12).

The report presents responses received to a statutory consultation on a proposal to provide no waiting at any time and no waiting between 9am and 5pm Mondays to Fridays at Boulter Drive, Cullerne Close and Loyd Close, Abingdon put forward by the local member in response to concerns over safety and the obstruction of traffic arising from parking on the bend on Boulter Drive, around the Boulter Drive/Cullerne Close & Loyd Close junctions and within Loyd Close itself.

The Cabinet Member for the Environment is RECOMMENDED to approve proposed waiting restrictions at Boulter Drive, Cullerne Close and Loyd Close Abingdon as advertised.

The Cabinet Member for Environment considered a report (CMDE12) presenting responses received to a statutory consultation on a proposal to provide no waiting at any time and no waiting between 9am and 5pm Mondays to Fridays at Boulter Drive, Cullerne Close and Loyd Close, Abingdon put forward by the local member in response to concerns over safety and the obstruction of traffic arising from parking on the bend on Boulter Drive, around the Boulter Drive/Cullerne Close & Loyd Close junctions and within Loyd Close itself.

Officers read out submissions from:

A resident of Loyd Close who had objected strongly to any parking restrictions on Loyd Close. When he had purchased his property in Loyd Close there were no parking restrictions as with most residential areas. However, when approval was given to building an extension to the surgery and the pharmacy in a residential area it had been deemed that there would be no detrimental effect on traffic in the area, which on reflection had been naïve.  It now seemed very unfair that the first houses on both sides of Loyd Close would be discriminated against in relation to on road parking all because of that decision, which had been objected to by the residents of the area for these very reasons. The parking issues on Boulter drive were caused solely by the inconsiderate parking of the staff from the medical centre who could easily park at the community centre car park and should be encouraged to do so. Since the COVID-19 pandemic it had become obvious that cars parked on Boulter drive belonged to staff at the medical centre because very few patients were attending the medical centre.  What are we to do when work is being carried out on our properties and tradesmen need to park near the property? We have friends come to visit when parking would be prohibited, where would you suggest they park?

We cannot fit two cars on our drive and would have a yellow line outside the house preventing us from parking both our cars. It would be sensible and fair for the small number of households affected in Loyd Close to have residents parking as they do in parts of Oxford.  We feel we are being discriminated against even in Loyd Close alone where some residents would be able to park outside their houses. We are opposed to any parking restrictions proposed in Loyd Close and if parking restrictions are required then residents parking would be the fairest solution.

County Councillor Emily Smith advised that issues with poor parking in this area had been raised with her over the years as a result of people using the medical centre parking across driveways and restricting visibility around this busy junction. A previous scheme put forward a few years ago had not gained public support but there was now s106 funding set aside to pay for parking restrictions and signage in this location.  She had worked with Abingdon Town Council to carry out an informal consultation first to gauge the views of the people living in Loyd Close and had met with the Business Manager at Long Furlong Medical Centre to hear about difficulties and possible solutions. As this informal consultation had been fairly positive she had decided to use some of her Councillor Priority Fund to pay for a formal consultation. 72% of respondents had been supportive.  There had been objections and county officers had addressed those. Regarding comments made by the nursery they should not be negatively impacted as the waiting restrictions would begin at 9am and the nursery did have some parking spaces. Other objectors raised the need for the car park outside the community centre to be enlarged and some residents and the Medical Centre had raised that with the developers of the large North Abingdon Development, which would, in my opinion, be an appropriate request to make as part of their s106 agreement. However, there was currently no s106 agreement to cover that so while it is possible that s106 funds could be forthcoming for a bigger car park in the future, that could not be guaranteed.

Therefore, on balance, and given the 72% support for these parking restrictions she urged that the parking restrictions as consulted on be approved in the hope that s106 negotiations might to help bring forward an extension to the Long Furlong car park as well.

Officers confirmed that there were signs at the Medical centre asking people to park at the Community centre car park and that the owner of 2 Loyd Close would be negatively impacted.

The Cabinet Member acknowledged the point made by the objector regarding resident parking but advised him that until the Vale of White Horse District Council acquired civic enforcement powers that was not an option.  She nevertheless was sympathetic to his views and wondered if a partial solution could be to make further overtures to staff at the medical centre to encourage their use of alternative parking at the community centre a short distance away and suggested that the local member could use her local connections to pursue that.  She noted the local member’s efforts to rationalise this issue, her funding of the consultation and the 72% level of support.  Therefore, having regard to the information set out in the report together with the representations made to her at the meeting she confirmed her decision as follows:

to approve proposed waiting restrictions at Boulter Drive, Cullerne Close and Loyd Close Abingdon as advertised.

Signed……………………………………

Cabinet Member for Environment

Date of signing………………………….